Actuakers One of my all time favorites.

Stevecorp Don't listen to the negative reviews

StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Derry Herrera Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

captaintneil Modern society is being engineered to embrace behaviors and lifestyles that were in the shadows in the same esteem as man-woman-children families that are the heart of any healthy society.God help the viewers of romanticized filth if they dare to speak truth, the will be condemned by the PC police who celebrate abortion and condemn traditional families as being insensitive.The best movies to watch are The 9th Gate and Eyes Wide Shut if you want to learn about how the elites program humans for their gradual enslavement....you can't enslave humans....you have to turn them into beasts first...same as war must dehumanize enemies you are supposed to hate and kill.

senditon85 Granted, Mysterious Skin looks at the issue of pedophilia and child abuse from the perspective of the victims, while this film looks at the struggle of the offender, however...This film really lacked the depth that MS goes into in exploring the devastating ramifications of child abuse, and generally in the realness of its characterizations. It felt very Hollywood in imposing a redemption plot - kind of rendering the taboo topic kind of generic and usual.While the film does not in any way apologize for the past deeds of its protagonist, In applying a kind of 'hero's journey' structure, it - by implication - turns the protagonist into a quasi-hero. This is particularly evident in the climactic scene where Walter beats up the other offender, Candy. I just didn't believe this would be something Walter's character would do, and it felt like a contrived attempt to redeem Walter's character and make him more palatable to mainstream audiences.I enjoyed the performances in this film and it was really nice and unexpected watching Kevin Bacon embarking on this kind of challenging role.However, for me it's a 7 at best.

TheBlueHairedLawyer I'm not going to say that pedophilia is a form of love the way some reviewers have. Pedophilia is an illness; it's sick, and can mentally, physically and emotionally destroy a child victim for life. It's the same as rape, and that's not love. That's destruction. I myself know a kid who was sexually abused by a parent and it's a horrible crime.But should there be a second chance offered if a pedophile does their time and wants to change? In the Woodsman, Walter (Kevin Bacon) gets released from prison after spending 12 years for molesting little girls. He has only one chance to redeem himself and forget his disgusting past. He's definitely not a stereotypical pedophile so his new co-workers at his new job at the local lumber factory don't know his history, but his family and friends are horrified by him and have left him behind. Even his brother in law, despite trying to help Walter, keeps a close eye on him. But Walter meets a little girl named Robin (she's being sexually abused by her father) and a child molester named "Candy", and suddenly he has the chance to improve the lives of the victim children.The Woodsman isn't perfect, there are a few flaws. For one thing, the coincidence that Walter's new neighborhood just happens to have a pedophile at the park and an abused girl. It's not the most original movie, it's like they combined Taxi Driver (1976) with Happiness (1998). The police officer is mean, but so mean to Walter that it gets unrealistic at times.Still, it does have its moments. The scene with Walter and Robin at the park together, when Walter realizes for the first time the damage caused by sexual child abuse, is one of the saddest yet hopeful moments in a movie I've ever seen. The acting was great on all accounts, the soundtrack wasn't bad and the movie didn't have to rely on pervy sex jokes or crude humor to get an audience.In reality, it's up to the law to decide the punishment for sexual abusers, and every case is different. But whether you agree with it or not, this is only a fictional film, a scenario to show us that maybe people do have the potential to change. I think The Woodsman was one of the best films I've seen in a while, I highly recommend it.

Geoffrey DeLeons This is the only movie I have ever given a perfect 10 to. Although you will see other 10-star movie ratings on my profile, and while I do have a favorite comedy and a favorite drama, I voted them 10 to boost their rating, which I felt was unfairly low.The reasons I gave The Woodsman this unprecedentedly-high mark is basically for two reasons: 1.) Kevin Bacon's courage to accept this role. and 2.) the fair depiction of Walter as not a monster, but rather, a normal, fairly intelligent, soft-spoken guy.One thing that I feel is a crucial aspect of this movie is the fact that the audience is never told the exact nature of what Walter did.., or, for that matter, whether he was even guilty. This should compel us to examine our collective condemnative nature: We are told he is guilty, so, to us, he is.At one point, I believe he does admit, to Kyra Sedgewick's character, that he "molested", but the question remains outstanding: Did he touch a girl's butt through her jeans? Did he kidnap a girl and sexually torture her for hours? There is quite a difference, but not in the eyes of the law, or the court of public opinion.By the tenderness displayed by Walter in the "park" scene, we could believe that he is the type of pedophile who treats young girls with just as much respect as he would a woman, had he been normal.Although Walter is depicted as a fairly caring, somewhat passive individual, we see the cruelty and relentless brutality of a society that makes no distinction between 1.)a kiss and 2.)forced sexual brutality, when it regards underage persons: His job is compromised by co-workers finding his photo on the Sexual Criminal List. A police detective threatens to throw him out the window of his own apartment, just because he can.I think the movie culminates with the scene at the park. We see that Walter is not a monster. Here, we see something that few wish to acknowledge: That there are different types of pedophiles, just like there are different types of men who have adult partners: 1.) There is the abusive and hurtful type like Robin's father. 2.) There is the kind and respectful type like Walter.This movie should be an extremely important sociological statement, but few will heed its instruction. To most, whether he touched a girl's butt or sexually tortured her, makes no difference. To them, he should die and not be allowed to live. Such is the courage and lucidity of this film, a film so intense as I should not watch it a second time.